WRECK RECALLED

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 21, 25 July 1927, Page 12

WRECK RECALLED

THE ORPHEUS DISASTER

DEATH OF LAST SURVIVOR

When the warship Orpheus ■was wrecked on the Manukau Bar in 1863 there was heavy loss of life. The vessel had a crew of 256, but only 09 survived the wreck, among then being James Mason. During tho past 25 years ilr. Mason has been a well-known figure in the gumfields of the Far North, and it was claimed in recent times that he was the sole remaining member of the crew of tho Orpheus. This link with one of New Zealand's worst marine disasters is now severed, as early in the present month Mr. Mason passed away' at his home in Kgata'ki. He was 89 years of age. Interesting details of the wreck of the Orpehus on the Manukau Bar are given by the Auckland "Sun" in recording tho death of "Jimmy" Mason. On Gth February, 1863, the Orpheus arrived from Sydney to co-operate in the war movements against the Maoris. The signal station warned tho ship against crossing the bar in the darkness, so her head was turned np coast, and in a quiet nook between two bold headlands that stood clear and cold in tho soft moonlight, anchor was cast, and the ship rode quietly at rest until dawn. Only the never-ending thrash of the waves on tho bar, away out in the sea, broke tho stillness, and in the distance that the ship was.away from it even that hollow roar softened down to a rumbling monotone.

At daybreak the ship sailed for the harbour entrance, and standing in, received the signal "bar clear." With a strong westerly, and all ordinary sail up to royals and studding sails sot, the ship-looked well, heading for the bar throwing the white water on either side for she was engincd as well. In order to give her the smart turn of speed that the captain deemed necessary for the entrance to New Zealand ports, the skipper ordered the hoisting of a: large extra sail. Her draft was 21 feet and under the press of canvas,- heeling over comfortably as she breasted the slight roll worked up ' y the wind, the Orpheus made a magnificent picture and the men on duty at the signal station stood admiring the panorama until one of them noticed that the ship was turning to the western end of the middle Dank 1-rantic semaphoring failed to attract the notice of the ship, which struck heavily on. the bank and was carried broadside on by. the break on the bar. At first it looked as if she might extricate herself, but the force of the impact had been too great and it was soon seen that the bar had claimed

rhe steam Wonga Wonga was hnriied down from Onehunga, a distance of IS miles, and essayed to stem the boiling foam of the bar in an endeavour to save the crew of the warship. Evea as she tried the mastcrammed with sailors were hurled over the side, and the utmost that could be done was to succour those in the water where possible. ?Z f the ship's boats got clear of the jweck. It was later found that the frot rf «"«"»««*«» of a m : iiom the charted position, thouVh the navigating offcers had instructio/sVom H.M.S. Niger which had been running m and out of the Manukau during thf Taranaki War just then dying down Mason never went to sea again and for the last 25 years had lived'in a neat wharo on tho gumfields. -